Bundeswehr wants increased presence on NATO’s eastern border
Germany’s Lithuania Brigade is growing. Why this step is crucial for the security of NATO’s eastern flank.
Berlin (d.de) - The German-led Lithuania Brigade is continuing to grow and is reinforcing NATO’s eastern border. The first Bundeswehr brigade to be permanently stationed abroad, it is playing a key role in the region’s security.
With additional combat battalions placed under its command in early February 2026, the brigade has grown in size from 500 to 1,800 soldiers, and will comprise 4,800 soldiers by 2027. “We see the Lithuania Brigade as a crucial military contribution to deterrence and defence,” says German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.
The Lithuania Brigade combines German troops with multinational forces and is intended to guarantee the security of Lithuania, which is situated in a position of geostrategic importance between Russia and Belarus. Germany is thus assuming a central role on NATO’s eastern flank and securing the region as a logistic hub for the alliance.
